Congress Strikes a Budget Deal, Averts Shutdown

[formerlurker]

Activists Give Boehner a Nod of Approval
Tea-Party Groups Had Sought More Cuts, but Grant House Speaker High Marks for His Leadership During the Showdown
 
By JONATHAN WEISMAN And JENNIFER LEVITZ

Leaders of the small-government, tea-party movement are generally giving House Speaker John Boehner high marks for his leadership in the spending showdown, even though the agreement eventually reached Friday night fell short of the cuts the tea party once demanded.

House Speaker John Boehner, shown Friday as negotiations continued to reach a budget deal, appears to have gained from risking a shutdown.

The relationship between the Republican leadership and these activists is one of the most important determinants of how this Congress will manage the fiscal fights to come.

Tea-party backers have been leery of Mr. Boehner for months, questioning his zeal and driving him toward a tougher line on spending.

As negotiations inched close to a deal late Friday, much of the movement's institutional leadership resisted raising the temperature and were willing to cut Mr. Boehner some slack, in hope that he will extract more dramatic concessions in the budget showdowns to come.

Within weeks, the House will press forward on a blueprint to dramatically change Medicare and Medicaid, lower tax rates, simplify the tax code, and cut nonsecurity spending by $1.6 trillion over the next decade.

By mid-May, another showdown will come as the federal government reaches its statutory limit on borrowing. And this summer, Congress must go to work on spending bills for fiscal 2012.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704415104576251390267843346.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

[Freeper]

The government would have shut down, and then they would have compromised....... the only thing accomplished is the savings of taking federal worker's pay away for several weeks.  

I don't think we are losing in 2012 -- I have no idea who the nomination will be.   However, I agree with you totally on the reality check.  

Here's what is going to happen. When the next budget comes up and Ryan doesn't get 100% of what he proposes the conservatives base will jump ship and start voting third party handing the dems majorities on a silver platter. Heck probably by then Ryan will be called a RINO by the purists here.

This is why conservatives can never win because no person is pure enough to satisfy everyone.

Reagan was a RINO, he compromised, he gave amnesty to illegal aliens, and bumped tax rates back up after the initial cuts.

[formerlurker]

Here's what is going to happen. When the next budget comes up and Ryan doesn't get 100% of what he proposes the conservatives base will jump ship and start voting third party handing the dems majorities on a silver platter. Heck probably by then Ryan will be called a RINO by the purists here.

This is why conservatives can never win because no person is pure enough to satisfy everyone.

Reagan was a RINO, he compromised, he gave amnesty to illegal aliens, and bumped tax rates back up after the initial cuts.

The WSJ is claiming the tea party is ok with the compromise.   We have bigger fish to fry.

[Freeper]

The WSJ is claiming the tea party is ok with the compromise.   We have bigger fish to fry.

Our fish is fried.
There is going to be compromise on the next budget. The wailing and gnashing of teeth here will rival the DUmp.

Mark my words Paul Ryan will be called a RINO by then.

[Janice]

From the WSJ ...

tea-party movement ... giving ... Boehner high marks for his leadership ... the cuts the tea party once demanded ...

We are over 17 Trillion Dollars in debt. Do some math. 39 Billion Dollars is like a fraction of a cent .. a farthing. We all know the WSJ newsroom is left of center. But what planet is this on? Oh I know ... Michelle Bachman stood against this bs, as did Senator Jim DeMint ... but we are the extremists. We are the "purists". Shame on us.

Show your hand, then roll over. Thats how its done. Way to go Johnny!

A little slumber, a little sleep.. so shall thy poverty come. Like a thief in the night. Not to worry though, like they keep telling us ... next time. Its always next time isnt it? Unless of course your one of those 'moderates' like 0bama or Reid or Pelosi.

Well, whats done is done. But if history is any lesson .. this sets a bad president. Now they know our 'leadership' will cave .. every time .. with the right pressure. I hope Im wrong.

[formerlurker]

Yeah, just because I want something totally means it is going to happen.    Am I right? 

Then I woke up.

Reality check.  This was a solid win for the GOP.   

[Freeper]

Yeah, just because I want something totally means it is going to happen.    Am I right? 

Then I woke up.

Reality check.  This was a solid win for the GOP.   

I won't say it's a win, I also won't say it's the end of the world either.

The real battle is going to be next year's budget.

[formerlurker]

I won't say it's a win, I also won't say it's the end of the world either.

The real battle is going to be next year's budget.

Asked for 61 and you get 39, absent control of the Senate?   You seriously don't think that is a win?

[formerlurker]

The U.S. Congress cannot ignore the political losses that might run into the 2012 elections from failing to get a budget deal tonight. A running poll of readers on reuters.com shows 60 percent would blame Republicans more for a government shutdown, 22 percent would blame Democrats and 18 percent say both parties, equally.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/usa-washingtonextra-idUSN0812619620110408


They went to the mattresses and we lose in 2012.   But we would have showed them right?

[Freeper]

Asked for 61 and you get 39, absent control of the Senate?   You seriously don't think that is a win?

The fact that we got even a dime in cuts is damn near a miracle.
In some regards yes, it's a win, however I feel like this is getting 3 points from a field goal while you are still 4 touchdowns behind the other team.
This may prove to a bigger win than I am seeing now, or it may turn into a total loss. Only time will tell. That's the thing about politics, yes the day to day events do matter, but it's what happens later that matters most. That's why I am not joining the RINO choir, or the GOP cheerleader squad just yet. I'm waiting for the bigger picture to come into focus and will encourage our folks to keep fighting against Harry and Barry.

[formerlurker]

You’re kidding, right?
April 9, 2011 8:55 A.M.
By Andrew C. McCarthy
With due respect, I think those who are praising the budget deal are deluding themselves. Under circumstances where we are trillions of dollars in debt, the GOP just caved on its promise to cut the relative pittance of $61 billion in spending because it’s just not worth fighting for more than the half-pittance of $40 billion Democrats claimed was their drop-dead number. “Drop dead” meant daring Republicans to shut the government down (which, as we know, doesn’t actually shut the government down). The Republicans blinked.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner

The only thing accomplished with going to shut down is providing the DNC with ample ammunition for a 2012 victory.   How in the hell were we getting anything other than what was accomplished?   Someone please tell me.   For all the tough talk from the pundits, I don't see a legitimate plan of action that is viable or realistic from any of them (and that is the left and the right).

[Freeper]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/usa-washingtonextra-idUSN0812619620110408


They went to the mattresses and we lose in 2012.   But we would have showed them right?

Like I said before I can't recall a time the GOP has stood up like they have now.
Have they been perfect? Of course not, but I'm not going to ignore the good things they have done just because they didn't deliver 100% of what we want. Anytime you use 100% as your measuring stick for anything, you are going to come up short. For now baby steps is what we need. If we manage to get all 3 houses then I will expect to see more bigger changes coming fairly quickly.

[redwhit]

It's a win, just not a big one.

The Senate now has to debate both Obamacare and Planned Parenthood.  These have the potential to be high ticket items.

The Republicans have the opportunity to change their minds - the real vote is this week.

The Republicans have a re-election issue by showing themselves capable of compromise while the Dems were going absolutely ballistic.

Boehner is being portrayed as a hero, even as the media is trying to portray Obama as the one who swooped in at the last minute and saved the day.

And remember - in the bigger picture, it's the next budget that's important.  This was cleaning up the mess that the last house didn't want to deal with because of proactive political cowardice.

[formerlurker]

The fact that we got even a dime in cuts is damn near a miracle.
In some regards yes, it's a win, however I feel like this is getting 3 points from a field goal while you are still 4 touchdowns behind the other team.
This may prove to a bigger win than I am seeing now, or it may turn into a total loss. Only time will tell. That's the thing about politics, yes the day to day events do matter, but it's what happens later that matters most. That's why I am not joining the RINO choir, or the GOP cheerleader squad just yet. I'm waiting for the bigger picture to come into focus and will encourage our folks to keep fighting against Harry and Barry.

Cheerleader?  No.   Calling it what it is?  yes.

Until the GOP controls the house and senate this is all political blow hard nonsense.   You will never get control if you allow the democrats to write the script.      

[Freeper]

Cheerleader?  No.   Calling it what it is?  yes.

Until the GOP controls the house and senate this is all political blow hard nonsense.   You will never get control if you allow the democrats to write the script.      

I need to clarify, I wasn't saying you were a cheerleader I was just stating my position that I'm not giving up on them and I'm not trusting them totally yet either. More has to happen before I can make a call.

 

[DLR Pyro]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) didn’t want to cut anything at first

That sentence tells alot about the difference between the democrats and republicans.  The dems failed to do their Constitutional duty and pass a bill last year when they were in the driver's seat, and when the republicans were trying to get some common sense to the budget mess the dems kept pushing for more spending as if there is no problem at all.  hairy reid and the rest of the dems are like an addict who refuse to admit they have a problem.

[NHSparky]

And for the record, this is NOT a "spending cut".

That's like saying you went from a budget of $10,000 a year to one of $20,000 a year, then back to $19,000 and claiming a $1,000 "cut".

Or to put it in more easily viewable terms:

Old deficit: $1,600,000,000,000.00

New deficit: $1,570,000,000,000.00

[Duke Nukum]

Here's what is going to happen. When the next budget comes up and Ryan doesn't get 100% of what he proposes the conservatives base will jump ship and start voting third party handing the dems majorities on a silver platter. Heck probably by then Ryan will be called a RINO by the purists here.

This is why conservatives can never win because no person is pure enough to satisfy everyone.

Reagan was a RINO, he compromised, he gave amnesty to illegal aliens, and bumped tax rates back up after the initial cuts.

You know what? All they have to do is lead. Would Reagan have satisfied the purists? Not if he didn't get out there and ask for support. In other words, lead.

Has Ryan been perfect? No. He voted for the Tarp. And probably a few other things that a purist would hate but he is one of the few with real solutions. He is one of the few that can lead.

Boehner is good at telling Obama and Reid exactly how they can roll him. Little more.  When bold action is needed, we get milquetoast once again. The world is on fire. A few states have become literal battlegrounds, and what do we get from national GOP leadership? Mitch McConnel, a senator, has shown more spine in recent months than Boehner has since he was announced as our new national leader.

[zeitgeist]

And for the record, this is NOT a "spending cut".

That's like saying you went from a budget of $10,000 a year to one of $20,000 a year, then back to $19,000 and claiming a $1,000 "cut".

Or to put it in more easily viewable terms:

Old deficit: $1,600,000,000,000.00

New deficit: $1,570,000,000,000.00

Now that's just plain mean spirited.  Oh wait, it only seems mean spirited 'cause it's a fact and facts are to liberals like kryptonite is to Superman.

Three hundred Spartans did in fact hold up legions but at what cost?  It may be uber macho to talk about choosing what hill to die on but once you do you really have shot your quiver.  I prefer Patton's take on things, you want the other guy to die for his cause, not you.

I am happy they got as much as they did. It is a start and that is what disturbs liberals the most. 

[5412]

Hi,

Boy do I see things differently.  While some might feel it was a win for Boehner, my contention is he does not know much about negotiations.  Had he handled things right maybe he would have got $50 billion.  You knew when it was said the tea party folks wanted $61 billion they would never get it.  He should have been demanding $100 billion from the get go and then settled on $61 billion.  When he started at the number the tea party could live with he was doomed to fail, no way the democrats would have allowed that.

And those who say the real fight is coming in the debt cieling increase and the 2012 budget, I say "yeah right!".  The die has been cast and all of a sudden Boehner and the Rino are going to grow testicles in the next 90 days????  Not hardly.  Even on the MSNBC web site they are saying that Obama made a commitment to Boehner about abortion funding in DC and then went back on his word at the last minute and Boehner did nothing about it..  Think that will not happen again???

I now have much lower expectations because of the poor republican leadership.

regards,
5412

PS:  No sooner did I finish this post than I got an email from Dick Morris saying the deal was a total sell out.  I cannot cut and paste what he said but basically he outlines how Boehner caved, what we now have no chance of getting and how the Republican party still has to get rid of a lot of folks.  Maybe you can find his discertation on dickmorris.com because he really spells it out.

[Freeper]

Hi,

Boy do I see things differently.  While some might feel it was a win for Boehner, my contention is he does not know much about negotiations.  Had he handled things right maybe he would have got $50 billion.  You knew when it was said the tea party folks wanted $61 billion they would never get it.  He should have been demanding $100 billion from the get go and then settled on $61 billion.  When he started at the number the tea party could live with he was doomed to fail, no way the democrats would have allowed that.

And those who say the real fight is coming in the debt cieling increase and the 2012 budget, I say "yeah right!".  The die has been cast and all of a sudden Boehner and the Rino are going to grow testicles in the next 90 days????  Not hardly.  Even on the MSNBC web site they are saying that Obama made a commitment to Boehner about abortion funding in DC and then went back on his word at the last minute and Boehner did nothing about it..  Think that will not happen again???

I now have much lower expectations because of the poor republican leadership.

regards,
5412

PS:  No sooner did I finish this post than I got an email from Dick Morris saying the deal was a total sell out.  I cannot cut and paste what he said but basically he outlines how Boehner caved, what we now have no chance of getting and how the Republican party still has to get rid of a lot of folks.  Maybe you can find his discertation on dickmorris.com because he really spells it out.

I'm not surprised Dick Morris would say that and I am sure on Monday, Beck, and Hannity will be wailing and gnashing their teeth too.
Not sure which way Rush is going to go.

I don't know what exactly what people are expecting of our congress, it's not like they have a huge amount of power. All they can do is submit a budget and try their best to get the democrat controlled senate and the democrat president to go along with it. Yeah we didn't get much right now, but I would prefer to get what we want bit by bit, than to not get it all. I think some people need to learn some patience, change does not come overnight. It seems both the left and right agree that their people should wave a magic wand and make everything they want magically appear. When it doesn't happen they shoot their party in the foot. 

I can't wait until Paul Ryan has to compromise on his budget and watch the heads explode here. How he sold us out.

If we owned all three houses like we did in the first decade of the 21st century then I too would be singing in the RINO choir.

[Janice]

Paul Ryan sold us out?

What??

Paul Ryan sold us out???

What planet are you on?

[Freeper]

Paul Ryan sold us out?

What??

Paul Ryan sold us out???

What planet are you on?

Mark my words, when he compromises on his budget you will saying that.

[Duke Nukum]

I'm not surprised Dick Morris would say that and I am sure on Monday, Beck, and Hannity will be wailing and gnashing their teeth too.
Not sure which way Rush is going to go.

I don't know what exactly what people are expecting of our congress, it's not like they have a huge amount of power. All they can do is submit a budget and try their best to get the democrat controlled senate and the democrat president to go along with it. Yeah we didn't get much right now, but I would prefer to get what we want bit by bit, than to not get it all. I think some people need to learn some patience, change does not come overnight. It seems both the left and right agree that their people should wave a magic wand and make everything they want magically appear. When it doesn't happen they shoot their party in the foot. 

I can't wait until Paul Ryan has to compromise on his budget and watch the heads explode here. How he sold us out.

If we owned all three houses like we did in the first decade of the 21st century then I too would be singing in the RINO choir.

You know, after Nancy Pelosi shoved ObamaCare through, that is an outrageous statement. Congress, the House, has the power of the purse. That is a huge amount of power.

And to answer your question yet again, I expect LEADERSHIP from our LEADERS. Boehner was great in the minority and they way he negotiates, it seems like he wanted to stay there.

[Janice]

Mark my words, when he compromises on his budget you will saying that.

Ahhh... I see. We just assume do we?

A guy proposes cutting trillions as opposed to a few billion and thats your comparison?

Fascinating.